/i lek"treuh luyt'/ , n.
1. Physical Chem.
a. Also called electrolytic conductor . a conducting medium in which the flow of current is accompanied by the movement of matter in the form of ions.
b. any substance that dissociates into ions when dissolved in a suitable medium or melted and thus forms a conductor of electricity.
2. Physiol. any of certain inorganic compounds, mainly sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, chloride, and bicarbonate, that dissociate in biological fluids into ions capable of conducting electrical currents and constituting a major force in controlling fluid balance within the body.
[ 1825-35; ELECTRO- + -LYTE ]